Calcutta Medical College & Hospital to come up with geriatric unit for elderly

Kolkata: In a unique initiative, the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) is going to set up a geriatric unit for providing specialised treatment to the elderly who have been suffering from various ailments.

No government hospitals in the state have so far come up with such an idea. The state Health department has been carrying out a survey in various hospitals exploring possibilities of setting up dedicated facility for the treatment of the elderly.

The CMCH will have adequate advanced equipment at the geriatric unit so that various tests can be performed within short span of time. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had laid emphasis on geriatric treatment.

A specialised geriatric care centre would be set up where geriatricians and allied medical professionals will provide a comprehensive geriatric assessment to address all-round needs of a patient and recommend the best treatment for them. According to sources, the main focus areas of the proposed hospital would be preventing and managing fractures, dizziness, memory loss, depression, psychological revitalisation, vaccinations, fatigue, unsteadiness or weakness, physiotherapy, diet counselling and medicine management.

"The unit will be started with around 20 beds. At least five doctors will be dedicated to the treatment. The Bengal government is contemplating to set up more dedicated units to provide comprehensive care exclusively for the elderly and also to understand their medical background and offer them customised care. There is a demand for dedicated units for geriatric patients," a senior Health department official said.

There is also a plan to set up a geriatric hospital in the city where the elderly from across the state can get special care. The patients would be able to avail of personal attention. There are not enough doctors who are willing to visit these patients at home. It has been found that many elderly people have been living in residential apartments alone in the city. They often become too feeble to visit a doctors' chamber in the locality. Many of them are found to have been deserted by their sons or daughters who are settled outside the state or abroad, with no one to look after their parents.